


Just Dance

by Beautiful_Doom



Category: Borderlands, Tales from the Borderlands - Fandom
Genre: Ballet AU, Jack is a diva, M/M, Rhys just wants to dance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-19
Updated: 2016-07-23
Packaged: 2018-06-09 10:37:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,590
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6902443
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beautiful_Doom/pseuds/Beautiful_Doom
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jack is the star of the Hyperion Ballet Troupe that dances in the Helios Theatre. His latest partner has just quit because of his attitude, but what else is new? Manager Vallory is tired of Jack's attitude and hires a fresh new face with an ultimatum: if Jack tries to romance them, Vallory will fire the new dancer. It's too bad this new guy is such a pretty thing, and Jack finds himself falling hard.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. In Need of a Partner

**Author's Note:**

> Second Borderlands story! Hopefully this one will be just as popular as my other one. Please show some love or comment and let me know what you think!

"I quit!"

This rather loud declaration rang out through the quiet and mostly empty theatre. Stage hands paused in their deconstruction of sets and props to watch Nisha stomp down the stairs of the stage and up the main aisle of the audience's seats. Vallory, the manager of the theatre jumped up from her paperwork to try to stop the other from leaving. "What's wrong?" She asked. "You've been doing so well." Half concerned for the ballerina and half concerned for her business, Vallory put a hand on Nisha's shoulder to stop her, but the dancer shrugged it off in fury. 

"Why don't you ask the giant prick over there?" She pointed to a man who looked annoyed and a little mad. "He called me a drunken elephant and said I should go back to a kid's school because I need to start from scratch! I've had it with that asshole's attitude, and I've had it with you not doing shit about it!" 

Vallory sighed and tried to defuse the situation, but then Jack opened his mouth and dashed any hope she had. 

"If you would just dance half as good as you say you can then I wouldn't insult you," he said. "But fine. Leave. Go back to whipping guys for money." 

"Fuck you, Jack! At least I'd have someone who could satisfy me, you tiny dicked minute man!" Nisha snarled. There was a round of laughter and encouraging remarks from the others in the theatre, but Jack glared and opened his mouth to respond- 

"Shut your fucking mouth!" Vallory roared Jack. She huffed and turned her attention back to Nisha. "Nisha, your contract is not up yet. You still have one more show for the season. If you leave now you'll have to pay the fee." 

Nisha knew this, and she had plenty of funds to pay the stupid fee. All season, she had kept telling herself that she would not leave. That she would not let Jack win. That she would hold out and prove her worth to that asshat. But Jack was so full of himself and so fucking annoying with his diva attitude, that Nisha had to call it quits if only to not end up a murderer with Jack's head on a pike. She dug around in her bag and fished out a wad of cash. 

"Here," she said. "I hope he chokes on it with that useless mouth of his. I've made up my mind, and I'm not changing it for anything. If I have to dance with him one more time I will cut his legs off and beat him with them." 

Vallory took the cash and sighed in defeat. Damn that man. She was starting to wonder if it was really worth keeping him on, but she'd worry about that later. 

"Fine," she guided Nisha up the aisle. "Let's go to my office and get the paperwork done." She gave Jack a glare that promised a storm later. 

~O~ 

"Where the fuck do you get off acting like that to my dancers?" Vallory shouted after she had shut the door to her office. It was hours after Nisha had left and Jack was sitting in a chair with his arms crossed. Jack had been with Vallory for a long time. He was the best dancer the city had to offer, and he never failed to deliver a top notch performance no matter what ballet he was doing. The man was popular with so many people and he the biggest star in the world of theatre for the city. Of course he would be cursed with an attitude like the one he had, which always rubbed Vallory the wrong way. While he wasn't the worst diva she had worked with, he still annoyed the hell out of her. Regardless, he never threatened to quit or not perform for petty reasons, and she was thankful for that. He was a diva, but he wasn't a complete douchebag. 

"I tried to be nice to her, but you know how brutally honest I am. I don't sugarcoat anything, I tell it like it is," said Jack. "She was a great dancer, and she could have been so much better if she just practiced a bit more-" 

"Don't pretend this was purely business," Vallory sat behind her desk. "I know you two have been fucking since she was hired, and I know this is all some personal lovers' spat! I keep telling you not to get involved with the dancers because shit like this always happens when you do!" 

"You let Janey and Athena date!" Jack argued back. The two women in question had been in a relationship for years, finally getting engaged recently. Everyone could overhear them making wedding plans while they worked, and they were often seen looking at bridal magazines while on break. They had their fights sometimes too, but they never let their work suffer for it. 

"I did because I trusted them to not turn everything into a shitshow when things went south," said Vallory. "And they haven't! I haven't had one problem with them, but you... you I've had several. This was number... what? Seven? Eight? How many partners have you fucked and then caused to quit for some reason or other? If you were anyone else I would fire you and toss your ass to the curb." 

"But you won't," Jack smirked. "How much money have I made for you? I've filled this theatre a hundred times over, and I've paid my dues again and again. I've been with you for years! Since you had just opened and weren't making half the money you are now. I stayed with you through it all, never complaining once! I know I'm hard to work with, but I don't cause you any real trouble. Forget Nisha! You can hire someone else." 

"You always say that like I have dancers hidden in some broom closet that I can pull out at any time." Vallory folded her own arms. "I have to hold auditions. Auditions cost time and money! And any new face has to start from square one and build a rapport with this theatre and its workers and dancers. That ALSO takes time. We should be preparing for our new production, and I have to put that all on hold to find a new dancer because you couldn't keep it in your pants! If I hire another dancer, I don't want you doing anything with them except dancing. If I hear you've started doing anything unprofessional, I will tear their contract to shreds and force you to dance with Hugo, don't think I won't!" 

Jack shuddered. Dance with Hugo? That hairy douche made Jack want to strangle something. Hugo wasn't the most well liked in the troupe, and for good reason. Bastard thought he was so cool and awesome when really his dancing was nothing special. It didn't help that Hugo had been trying to secretly dethrone Jack for a while now. Jack half wished Nisha would come back if it meant getting rid of Hugo... 

"Got it," he said. "No seducing the fresh meat. I'll even sit with you for the auditions. Just put the word out and give me a date. We'll get this done and focus on the next ballet we're doing. No muss no fuss." 

"If only," Vallory said. "Now get back out there and help them get the sets taken apart. Maybe some manual labor will help put you straight. I'll let you know when the auditions will be. And Jack? Remember what I said. You know I don't make threats I don't intend to follow through on." Jack just gave a cheeky smile and got up to leave. He's sooner dance with a rabid bear than dance with Hugo.


	2. You Spin Me Around

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack suffers through auditions. An interesting hopeful applies.

Auditions were often mind-numbingly boring.

You sit in a chair and watch people dance and tell you their story, and then in the end you have to sort through resumes and headshots to find the perfect one. Jack loathed helping Vallory with auditions, and he tried his best to skip out, but Vallory called him early one morning to remind him. 

"I don't want to hear a word," the old hag said through the phone. "Get up, get dressed, and get over here. If you're not here in half an hour I'm picking the dancer I want and you get no say." 

Jack groaned as he hung up and tossed the phone onto his spacious (and sadly empty) bed. True, it was his partner that he was picking today, and he should be there, but Vallory's words of not romancing them still hung over him like a dark cloud. He didn't want to pick one he liked and risk it. It wasn't that Jack would get with just anyone, he just had the bad curse of falling in love (or into bed) with his partners. Nisha had only been the latest one, and Jack still never mentioned Moxxi. 

Jack washed up, and touched up his make up and prosthetics. The jagged scar across his face managed to stay hidden, and that was just how Jack liked it. Years learning make up tricks and working with latex had really paid off. No one was ever any the wiser that his face was marred. 

Except Vallory. 

Granted, she had been there before the scar. It was a story Jack didn't like talking about, starring one of his old flames and a sharp knife. A lover's spat gone awry, some choice words yelled, and then Jack was in the hospital while the bitch got time in prison. Jack had learned of the scar, and he'd been devastated to know that there was no way to fix it with surgery. All his money and the medical field couldn't help him. He'd told Vallory that he would quit dancing because of it, but she had just smacked him and told him that it wasn't the end of his career. If surgery can't help, try something else. 

Jack had been watching Face Off on tv when he got the idea. He'd watched a few tutorials, bought some materials, and then commenced with a long string of trial and error to get it just right. And then voila, Handsome Jack was back. 

And he was better than ever. 

Jack quickly drove to the Helios theatre in a flashy sports car that probably cost as much as the building, and he was there with only a few minutes to spare. Vallory was sitting in the audience and sorting through paperwork while the hopefuls waited backstage. Sasha was working the sound system for audition music, but no one else was there. 

"I see you managed to get here on time," Vallory said, looking up from the papers as Jack sat next to her. "I'm impressed." 

"Yeah well I couldn't let you pick some ugly old dancer to dance with me," said Jack. "I mean... any dancer is ugly compared to me, but... you get my drift." 

Vallory rolled her eyes and picked up a microphone. "Dancer 1 to the stage, please. Yvette Phillips to the stage." 

And so it began... 

~O~ 

It was nearly two hours later and Jack was ready to choke himself with Vallory's microphone. Dancer after dancer had come up, danced to three songs, performed certain feats requested by Vallory, and answered some questions. It was mostly females, but some males were auditioning too. Jack had yet to see anyone who truly stood out and who really impressed him. This was torture, and Jack wanted nothing more than to go home and unleash his frustrations on his video games. 

After all, virtual murder was perfectly legal. 

"Are we done yet?" Jack asked as Vallory shuffled her papers. 

"For the fourth damn time, no!" she replied. "We still have some dancers to watch. Dancer 32 to the stage, please. Rhys Jacobson to the stage." 

The dancer came out, looking like the very image of nervous. He wrung his hands together, fiddled with his outfit, but still stood tall and proud on the stage. 

Jack's jaw dropped when he saw him. 

The dancer had a metal arm like out of a comic book. And it only took Jack a few minutes to notice the fake eye. This kid was half blind, and he wanted to dance. Ha, good luck to him. 

He expected Vallory to shoo the dancer off the stage, but she smiled and glanced over his resume. 

"Hi honey, how you feeling?" She asked. 

"Well, if I'm honest, I'm kinda nervous," Rhys chuckled. He glanced over at Jack and seemed to freeze, eyes going wide. He cleared his throat and looked back at Vallory, but his fidgeting seemed to increase. "B-but I'm ready to dance, ma'am!" 

Ah hell, Jack really hoped this wasn't another freaking fan boy. He'd had enough of those losers years ago. While it was still a nice stroke to his ego, they could be damn annoying. 

"And what will you be dancing to today?" Vallory asked, smirking at Jack and obviously loving his discomfort. 

"Well, I only had time to get two songs ready so I have Everything Stays and Bad Apple," Rhys said, getting into position. 

"Whenever you're ready, Rhys," Vallory said, sitting back. 

Rhys took a deep breath and shook his hands (hand?) out. He gave Sasha the signal and waited for his music to start. His dancing was... well, it was good, but nothing special. Jack was pleasantly surprised at the range of movement Rhys had despite his arm and eye. True, it wasn't a leg that was cybernetic, but arms were just as important. Not to mention, being half blind ran the risk of him bumping into another dancer. Still, Rhys danced well through his songs, and Jack found himself liking the sight of Rhys dancing. The kid was very pretty and had legs that went on forever. He was lean and had a good ballet figure, but that arm stuck out like a sore thumb... sore arm. 

But Jack still liked watching Rhys dance. 

When he was done, Vallory asked him a few questions, and Rhys answered. He'd only been dancing for a few years, and not professionally. So he was an amateur too. He was going to college to become a programmer, but he was only taking a few classes at a time, hence why he was still in college despite being 27. Vallory sent him off with a thanks and glanced over at Jack. 

"You're not considering him are you?" Jack huffed. "With that arm and that eye?" Vallory bonked him with her microphone. 

"He's fresh and he can dance well," she said. "And he doesn't look like he'll give us any trouble. The part may call for a female dancer, but we can certainly dress him up as one or change it to a male instead." 

"Still," said Jack. He didn't want Rhys cast if that meant him having to see those perfect legs on a near daily basis. The temptation to do dirty things would be way too high. 

"Still nothing," said Vallory. "I kept you on despite your scar, didn't I? Dancer 33 to the stage, please. Maya Pierce to the stage." 

Jack sulked quietly for the rest of the auditions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow it's been a while. But that's mostly my fault as I have zero knowledge of ballet so I've been researching. It might still seem a little vague in this story, but I will try my best to stay true to the art. As always, please comment and let me know what you think so far.


	3. Can You Even Dance in those Pants?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rhys joins the troupe and Jack learns something unsettling.

Of course Vallory had to choose that damn kid.

It was a week later and Vallory had introduced Rhys freaking Jacobson to the rest of the troupe. She'd let the others talk a bit to get to know him and joined Jack where he was sulkily doing his stretches on the ballet bar. 

"Of all those stupid dancers, why did you have to pick the rookie?" Jack asked, bending his knees. "He has no experience and it's going to be a nightmare having him play catch up with the rest of us." 

"Maybe, but... he has a certain charm to him," said Vallory. "He's pretty, which is wonderful, and he's very excited to dance here. I'll spend all day training a rookie who actually wants to dance over hiring a professional who's going to give me trouble." But then she was giving Jack the smuggest smirk he's ever seen. 

"I hate you so goddamn much right now," Jack said, getting into the next position. "You and I both know that's not the only reason." 

"You didn't think I was going to make this easy for you, did you?" Vallory pressed on Jack's back to straighten his posture, which earned a death glare from the dancer. "I wasn't about to hire the ugliest dancer and compromise our production just for you. Consider this your test. If you can resist that kid I'll know that I won't have any problems with you in the future. I may even let you date him if you can be a good boy." 

"What, he's just a carrot for you to dangle in front of me?" Jack groused. "Besides, look at him! What about his arm? It's made of metal!" 

"It could be made of dogs for all I care," said Vallory. "As long as he can use it. And don't even mention his eye. He may be half blind, but so am I." She tilted her head to make sure Jack could see the milky white eye she sported. Jack had often teased her about it, but she luckily didn't care. "Besides, you two should get along perfectly boding over scars and traumas." 

"Like hell," said Jack. "I worked really hard to keep this scar hidden." He finished the last of his stretches. "Just make sure he knows what he's doing when we start dancing." 

"How about you worry about your dick and I'll worry about his dancing," Vallory said, turning to leave. "Remember our agreement! No dating, no romancing, no seducing, no fucking." 

"Meh meh mee mee moo," Jack mocked to himself as he went backstage. 

~O~ 

As the day wore on, Jack made it his mission to avoid Rhys. 

The kid was a hit with the others. While his dancing may not have been anything special, he was indeed a charming young man. Janey had fallen in love with his arm, asking him question after question. Athena had had to drag her away to get any work done. Sasha and Fiona had gotten his measurements for costumes, and even August had introduced himself as the stage manager. Jack found that odd as August was just as antisocial as he was, but he suspected Sasha had made him go meat Rhys (stupid guy couldn't even pronounce Rhys's name right). 

It was when Jack had gotten done having another 'important' talk with Vallory that Rhys had finally managed to catch up with him. 

"Um... Mr. Lawrence, sir?" The kid was once again nervously fidgeting with his hands, fingernails clicking against hard metal. "Um, I just wanted to meet you. Ms. Vallory says that we're going to be dancing together and we should meet." 

Oh, that bitch was cruel. Jack could imagine her laughing her ass off while she stirred a lethally bubbling cauldron right about now. 

"Rhys, was it?" Jack said coldly. Go ahead and put the defenses up. Let the little nerd know he wasn't interested. Gotta nip it in the bud. "Congrats on getting a spot here. You beat out a lot of people..." 

"I know!" Rhys said excitedly. "I was surprised actually. I didn't think I would get in and I almost didn't audition, but my friend Vaughn convinced me to. Um... he actually dropped me off and drove away and wouldn't come back until it was over..." 

Jack laughed in spite of himself. He could imagine someone tossing Rhys out a car and leaving the kid standing there looking like a lost and confused dog. 

"Well, I guess it all worked out in the end. Hopefully you can catch up enough to look at least halfway decent when dancing with me. Of course, you'll never look as good as me," Jack layered on the defense, keeping Rhys at arm's length, insulting him. These were all good things to keep the kid away from him. 

"I know!" said Rhys. Ok, apparently not. "I'll be working really hard. And I know I won't be as good as you. You're the best! I've seen some of your performances, they're amazing! They actually inspired me to become a dancer myself." 

Ugh, these fanboys. As if Jack could possibly be interested in all this. Yeah, he may have inspired Rhys, but he inspired so many others. What made this kid think he was so special? 

"... got a poster from one of your shows," Rhys was still babbling on. "In fact, I met you afterwards and you signed it for me. Do you... um... do you remember that?" 

Jack tilted his head slightly as he thought about it. Rhys had met him before? He may not be good with faces, but he definitely would have remembered that arm. Unless Rhys had met him before getting it. 

"I didn't think you would," Rhys said after a minute. "You must have had a lot on your mind that night. I mean, your dancing was different somehow. Kinda like you were a whole other person..." 

Jack paled as Rhys continued talking. Now he realized why he didn't remember meeting Rhys. And hearing Rhys say that Jack was dancing as if someone else... 

"Well it was great meeting you, but I actually have to leave now!" Jack suddenly said much too quickly and loudly. "Tell Vallory that I had to see to an emergency!" 

"Wait!" Rhys called after him. "Are you ok?! You look like you saw a ghost!" 

'Not a ghost', Jack thought as he rushed out the door and into his car. 'But he may as well be one.' He rushed out on the road and wove in between traffic, desperate to get to his destination. 

"Timothy, you better be home," he mumbled as he drove. "We have a big big problem..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gah, I feel so bad leaving my stories alone for so long, but sometimes it's a little hard to churn the new chapters out. I figured a short chapter was better than no chapter. Still, I will try to do better for you guys. As always please comment and let me know how I'm doing. Thanks so much for all the love!


	4. We'll Have to Kill HIm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack visits his brother Timothy and doesn't freak out in the slightest.

It was widely known that Jack Lawrence had a twin brother named Timothy.

It was also widely known that said brother ran his own Fortune 500 company, but always supported Jack's talents. Even while laughingly saying how he had two left feet and could never dance as well as Jack. 

It was NOT widely known that Timothy could actually dance almost as well as Jack and would periodically dance for Jack as his official unofficial understudy. This was a secret that Jack, Vallory, and Timothy worked very hard to keep. After all, people paid a lot of money to see Jack perform. Imagine if they found out it hadn't been Jack but Timothy they had watched dance. Jack's paranoia always made him worried that someone would find out and bring scandal to the Helios theatre. If people found out they would always question who was dancing on stage and that could really hurt ticket sales. 

This was why Jack was currently babbling on in a panicked tone in Timothy's luxurious apartment while Timothy himself was sitting on a leather sofa and gently petting his new fuzzy kitten. 

"He knows!" said Jack. "That stupid little kid knows! I don't know how, but he can tell. He said it himself 'it's like someone else was dancing that night'. If he can tell from the audience then he'll be able to tell up close! And if he finds out, he'll tell! He'll tell everyone and we'll be ruined!" 

Timothy sighed and rolled his eyes. Jack could be so dramatic. He blamed his theatre training. 

"Jack, calm down. So what if he could tell? He probably thinks you were stressed or something," Timothy said. "I highly doubt the first thing he's going to suspect is a double." 

"Still," Jack pointed at him. "It's too risky. I mean, this is gateway suspicion, and gateway suspicion always leads to bigger and worse suspicions. Just give it some time, let him meet you, and then he'll be connecting dots in that pretty little head of his. And then it's off to the presses!" 

"Jack," Timothy rubbed Pocki's fluffy kitty belly. "Ok, then let's say your fears are legitimate. You know what we have to do, right?" 

"Yeah," Jack slowly nodded his head. "We're gonna have to kill him." 

"Yeah- what?!" Timothy squawked, standing up. "No! why would you-" 

"You hold him and I'll get a rope-" 

"Jack this is stupid-" 

"-tie him up and strangle him-" 

"-I can't believe you would think-" 

"-dump his body in the river-" 

"-you're acting crazy-" 

"-frame Vasquez-" 

"JACK!" Timothy snapped. Jack finally fell quiet. Pocki mewed, wanting more attention from Timothy, but the CEO was too busy pinching the bridge of his nose. Timothy knew that dancing was Jack's life. He'd worked hard to get to where he was and right now nothing kept him going like the Helios theatre. If anything were to threaten it, then Jack would go in guns blazing to eliminate any threat. Of course he would draw such drastic conclusions from something as simple as a new dancer mentioning the night he met Timothy instead of Jack. Mountains from molehills was the only way Jack functioned. 

"Let's go down Logic Lane," said Timothy. "Maybe you'll realize how minimal this is. Now... this dancer is part of the troupe. They work for Vallory, they perform at Helios, they make money as part of the Hyperion troupe. So... it stands to reason that they would have just as much to lose from a scandal as you would, right?" 

Timothy could practically see the gears turning in Jack's head. Slowly, his twin began to nod. 

"Yeah..." Jack said. "Yeah.... I guess. But still! The threat's there!" 

"Any threat is always going to be there," said Timothy. "Besides, maybe you can just distract him. You know, like you did with all the other dancers." 

"No dice," said Jack. "Vallory says I can't date this one or she'll fire him. So I can't just pull him in for a kiss whenever you walk by. What am I supposed to do, wave something shiny in front of his face?" 

"He can still meet me," said Timothy. "And he's going to whether you like it or not. I can't just stay away permanently. I'll just be careful when I'm rehearsing and not let him see is all." 

Jack still looked unconvinced. He was panicking on the inside no matter what Timothy said. Yeah, Rhys stood to lose a lot if he snitched, but Jack had known many people to sacrifice everything just to have some personal satisfaction. The lover who had slashed his face was a prime example. No matter what Timothy or anyone said, Jack would always have that fear taunting him from the back of his head. 

"So tell me about him," Timothy finally said as he sat back down and pushed Jack to do the same. "The new dancer. What's he like?" 

Jack sighed and stretched out, propping his feet on Timothy's coffee table, much to the CEO's chagrin. He had thought a lot about Rhys even as he tried to keep the kid from his mind. No matter what, Rhys kept popping up. 

"He's young," he said. "A newb all the way. I mean, he knows the basics and he can dance decently, but it's nothing compared to Nisha or even Moxxi. I just feel like Vallory's really shot herself in the foot. He's got a pretty face, but how will people react to that metal arm and fake eye?" 

"Metal arm?" Timothy said, perking up. "Is he really tall and skinny with dark hair? Always fidgety?" 

"You remember him?" Jack asked. "So he had all that when he met you..."

"I'm pretty sure we're talking about the same guy," said Timothy. "And if we are then you definitely don't have to worry about him telling." 

"And why's that?" Jack asked, wondering how many guys with metal arms lived in the city and watched ballet. 

Timothy's expression turned to one of pity. "He did mention how you inspired him to become a dancer, but he mentioned something else. No other theatre would hire him because of his eye and arm. So... if Vallory's hired him then she must be the only one in the city who would. Which means that if Rhys gets fired, he'd lose any chance of dancing without having to move to another city. And even then he'd probably face more rejection. So Helios is his last and final option. He wouldn't put it all in jeopardy like that." 

Jack paled only slightly at Timothy's words. Suddenly Vallory's ultimatum became a lot heavier...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've never played any DLC with Timothy so I have no idea how he really acts in the games when he's not pretending to be Jack. So I apologize if my characterization doesn't sit well with some of you. Thank you again for tall the love and support and please let me know how you guys are liking it so far.


	5. Party Don't Start till I Walk in

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vaughn throws Rhys a congratulations party like any good bro would do.

Rhys wasn't expecting the scene he walked into when he got home that day.

Jack had left quite abruptly, but the rest of the workers just said it was normal and that Jack constantly came and went as he pleased. While Rhys was a little disappointed to see Jack go he understood and instead helped his new coworkers out and got everything settled with Vallory. He had a good feeling about the Helios theatre. The people were very nice, well most of the anyway, and he was finally going to dance on stage as he had been trying so hard to do for a long time. Stupid prosthetics... 

He had tried to dance at other theatres before, but everyone one of them rejected him, and some did it as soon as they saw his arm or eye. It was all about 'aesthetics' and 'beauty' and 'people with your handicap can't possibly have the skills we need'. He'd taken a few of them in stride, and he'd taken the rest of them with a large carton of double fudge brownie ice cream and bad tv. Of course Vaughn had also been there to comfort him and say that 'those assholes wouldn't know talent if it kicked them in the ass.' Rhys had always appreciated his efforts, but so many rejections had worn on him until he had given up entirely. 

When Vaughn had showed Rhys Vallory's ad in the paper, Rhys had refused. But Vaughn had been the one to kick Rhys into a routine and then strand him at the theatre to do auditions, and now Rhys was forever grateful that he had. He was still smiling when he opened the door and flipped on the light. 

"CONGRATULATIONS!" Vaughn was standing in the kitchen with a large cake, a noisemaker, and he was standing under a large colorful banner that said 'Congratulations Rhys' (Rhys recognized it from his party that had celebrated something before. Why Vaughn still had it, Rhys would never know). Rhys put a hand to his chest, the slight scare winding down, and he chuckled as he shut the door behind him. "Wow, you really pulled out all the stops, huh?" He walked over and accepted Vaughn's hug. "Cake, a banner, are there balloons too?" He'd said it in a joking manner, but then Vaughn pulled a nearby string and a wave of balloons were released from a hidden sack above Rhys. Rhys could only laugh out loud, touched at all the effort Vaughn had gone through. 

"Well of course we're gonna have a big party," said Vaughn. "You did it! You got that ballet job you always wanted. Told you you would. No one can resist those moves." He smiled and kicked a few balloons into the air. "We gotta celebrate, bro!" 

"Then get me a knife so I can cut this cake. It looks amazing," Rhys swiped a bit of frosting and licked his finger. Mmm... chocolate buttercream. Vaughn really did pick out a good cake. 

"So, how was your first day there?" Vaughn said as he rummaged for a serving knife. Rhys shrugged and sat at the table, kicking and batting balloons into the air. He couldn't tell Vaughn just how he had geeked out over Jack, though he reckoned that Vaughn already knew. It was no secret that Rhys had been looking up to Jack for years, but even then he wasn't about to let Vaughn poke fun of him. 

"It was ok," he finally said. "Mostly like an orientation. I met people, got my measurements taken, did some warm ups and basic moves." He took the plate of cake from Vaughn and took a bite. "I like it there. And Vallory seems to like me too." 

"I heard she's really strict," Vaughn was eating his own cake. Rhys shrugged. 

"Well considering who dances there, I can't really blame her," he said. He realized a minute too late what he had done when Vaughn gave him a sly look. He'd left himself open to attack. 

"Speaking of," said Vaughn. "Did you see your crush?" He laughed as he dodged the smack Rhys had tried to give him, and Rhys rolled his eyes afterward. He really needed to be careful about what he said around Vaughn. He could already hear the boyfriend and marriage comments that were sure to spring up now. 

"He's not my crush, he's just my... my inspiration," he said. "And I did, but I don't think he remembered me. He was kinda... distant. But I heard he can really cold and hard to get along with." 

"But if you're dancing with him shouldn't you at least have some kind of basic chemistry with him?" Vaughn pointed out. "How are you going to sell a romance without it? If you end up doing a romance. Maybe Vallory will put you two as enemies or something. You can do a graceful and sad death scene as you bleed out in Jack's arms and he confesses his hidden love for you-ow!" This time Rhys landed his smack, and Vaughn rubbed it with a whine. 

"Vallory hasn't mentioned anything about the next production yet. She said she was still hammering out a few things, but she would give us all the info soon," said Rhys. He finished his piece of cake and cut another. "I was too busy being happy just to be there to really worry about it." 

"Ok, but all joking aside... I'm proud of you, bro. You didn't let all the naysayers keep you down and now all of them are going to be like 'Damn! I should have hired him when I had the chance'. And then you can bathe in their tears as they realize what a talent they passed on," Vaughn made fluttering motions with his hand. Rhys snorted and almost choked on his cake. In truth, he liked hearing those words. He really did feel amazing for finally doing what so many people had tried to keep him from. So many directors and teachers and others telling him that he should give up because no one like him could dance. No one was going to hire someone with a fake arm and a fake leg. And that had been exactly what Rhys had been worried about after his accident. He'd been lucky enough to get the prosthetics from a local company, but he knew nothing was going to be the same no matter how much he wanted it to be. 

"Hey," Vaughn poked his real arm with his fork. "Don't be moping. This when you're supposed to smile and be happy. You got your job, and you even got one where you're working with Handsome freaking Jack! I mean, that's like scoring twice! And maybe you can score even more later on when you and Jack get more... acquainted." 

"Oh knock it off," Rhys said. "He's my coworker and partner. Nothing else. And I highly doubt it will be anything else. I mean, the guy could have anyone he wanted. Anyone! Why would he want me?" His metal arm suddenly felt very heavy, and an odd feeling settled in his stomach. 

"Don't sell yourself so short, bro," said Vaughn. "I mean, you said no one would hire you for ballet, and now look at you. Just stay determined. And even if nothing happens you can still be friends with the guy. Something tells me he doesn't have a lot of those. Now let's go watch some anime. You can bring the cake with you." Vaughn got up to leave, and Rhys stood as well. Vaughn's words echoed in his head, and he couldn't help but feel a slight glimmer of hope. 

"No Sailor Moon!" Rhys said as he followed Vaughn. "I want Hetalia tonight!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know my updates are kinda sporadic when it comes to this story and my other popular one. I really just kinda write which ever chapter I have the most motivation to write at the time. Plus I have a bit of a writer's block on my other story, and I just started a new one. But don't worry, I won't forget about the people who love this story. As always, please comment and tell me what you think so far! Thanks so much, guys!


	6. Not as Easy as it Looks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rhys soon learns why it's so hard to dance with Jack.

Rhys was excited for his first real day of practice.

Today Vallory would announce what show they were doing and who would be playing what parts. Of course Jack was going to be the star, and no doubt Rhys would be whatever love interest, but he still wasn't sure if his character would be male or female. While he didn't mind wearing feminine clothes, he'd never danced in them. They couldn't be too different than male clothes, right? Dear god, what if they made him wear a wig? And what kind of gossamer sleeve would fit over his metal arm? Suddenly, Rhys felt very self conscious about his prosthetics. While it was true that careful measurements had been taken for his arm, he still dreaded wearing a beautiful expensive costume only to have his arm rip it and ruin it. 

But, he would put all that worry behind him today. Today was supposed to be a good day. He'd even been able to snag a fresh cinnamon bun from his favorite bakery on the way to the theatre. As he stood in the lobby, he unwrapped it and nearly moaned at the smell. Gooey cream cheese icing stuck to his fingers as the smell of warm cinnamon wafted through the air. He lifted it up to take a big bite- 

Only to have it slapped from his hands to the floor. 

Rhys looked down at the messy splatter and then at his now empty hands, icing still stuck to his fingers. He looked like a classic confused cartoon, nearly able to see a floating question mark above his head. But then he looked over and saw Jack walking past him. 

"Watch your weight, pumpkin," he said, and Rhys noticed the incriminating icing on Jack's on palm. "I can only lift so much." He didn't give a backwards glance as he entered the main theatre. Rhys once again looked down at the mess and figured out that Jack had just smacked his breakfast to the floor and put him on an unofficial diet. Well, he'd heard that ballet dancers needed to watch their weight.... 

Rhys sighed and cleaned up his ruined breakfast, still indulging enough to lick the frosting from his flesh hand. Guess he'd just have to eat out of sight from Jack from now on. He entered the main theatre himself and saw a crowd gathered by one of the front seats, everyone talking about a piece of paper. Rhys watched Jack cut through the crowd and pick the paper up. He gave an odd expression, and then tossed it aside as he went to sulk backstage. The crowd began to look from Jack to Rhys, whispering quietly amongst each other. Rhys fidgeted a bit and decided to wait for Vallory in the lobby. 

~O~ 

The new production, Rhys later found out, was called 'Giselle'. It was a very popular ballet to be performed, and Vallory was quick to assure that it was going to be a real house filler. Rhys, whose knowledge of ballets was a bit lacking, asked what it was about. He was particularly nervous to see his name so high up on the list. Jack responded before Vallory could. 

"Oh my god, kiddo. This ballet is gonna run you ragged. You have no idea what you're in for. Especially playing Giselle herself," he passed the cast list over to Rhys and the newbie looked it over while Jack continued. "It's one of the most famous ballets in history and we're going to be dancing together for it. Remember what I said earlier, I'm gonna have to lift you a lot in this one." Rhys kept looking over the list, paling and nervously reading a different name that was only slightly lower than his. He looked over at the dancer in question, who was busy talking to Athena and Janey. Rhys knew it was a risk dancing in the same theatre as them, but he really had no other choice. Vaughn had convinced him to dance and ignore the other. It was a chance to prove that he could dance despite his limb, and Rhys couldn't help but feel all the more determined to make himself shine as bright as Jack would on opening night. He set the list aside and went off to practice with Jack. He didn't see the other dancer look his way and smile smugly. 

"What do you want, cupcake?" Jack was at the ballet bar and doing his stretches, trying not to think about how ballet tights made Rhys's legs look even longer and framed his ass perfectly. He really didn't need to entertain those thoughts, but it was made harder when Rhys took a spot in front of him and began to do his own stretches. 

"If we're going to dance together we should practice together," Rhys got into first position and began to stretch. "Especially since this is a love story. We have to sell a romance to the audience, and that won't work if we barely know each other." 

"I beg to differ," said Jack. "I've done it lots of times before. Barely knew the chick, but I could make the audience believe we were deeply in love... even if she hated my guts. Course, you're not a chick are you, Rhysie? Be interesting to see you in a tutu..." 

Rhys was glad Jack couldn't see his blush as he moved into second position. "No, I'm not," he said. "And I've never worn a tutu before." 

"Really?" Jack chuckled. "Well, that won't matter. Vallory's gonna make sure you're in tip top shape for opening night. She's gonna run you ragged like a dog- for god's sake, pumpkin! Straighten your spine! Do you not even know how to stretch properly? You look like a hunchback!" 

Rhys was quick to straighten his posture, not realizing the flood gates had been opened. Jack had a lot to say about his dancing. For the entire first half of practice it was nothing but Jack berating Rhys over everything. He would bark orders to straighten up, move his hands, move his legs, and any other thing he could think of. 

"Is this arm just rusted in place?" He growled, correcting Rhys's metal arm's position for the third time. "Why does it keep staying there? That's not right. This is how it's supposed to look. You're not bigfoot. You're not a yeti. Hands out, arms firm, but relaxed. You keep tensing and you'll look like a statue. Actually, you'll look worse. Now do it again, and that arm better be in the right place." 

Jack's words really began to wear on Rhys, and it must have showed. 

"What, gonna cry? Huh? That what we're gonna do, cupcake? Gonna be a crybaby? If you'd just do it right I wouldn't have to harp on you-so help me, you better not cry!" Jack snapped. To Rhys's credit, he didn't cry. Not that he was going to. He was more tired that anything. Dancing with Jack was mentally and emotionally draining as he sucked every bit of hope and positivity right out of Rhys. The novice sighed once again and began from the beginning. Vallory had come by every now and then to see how things were going, but Jack would just wave her off and glare at Rhys as if daring him to tattle. Rhys would just smile and say that everything was fine, and Vallory would move off. 

Rhys was ecstatic when they finally broke for lunch. He all but ran from the theatre on shaky legs and walked to a nearby cafe, craving a good sandwich since he hadn't been able to eat his breakfast. But as he looked up at the menu, waiting in line, Jack's words once again came back to him. And it was with a small voice that he ordered a salad instead. He carried his lunch back to the theatre and ate backstage with the rest of the troupe. The lettuce didn't fill him up nearly as much as he wanted, but it seemed to be the price he'd have to pay if he wanted to dance with Jack. Speaking of, he didn't see the other eating with the troupe, but he chalked it up to the man's antisocial personality. 

Rhys continued to dance with Jack, and the diva just kept grilling him with comments on everything from his stance to his arms to his movements, even his expressions. 

"There's no dialogue, Rhysie," he said. "You have to emote ten times more to get your point across. You can't just have a blank slate for a face. There's acting that goes into it." And he was right, of course. Rhys would just have to practice his expressions in the mirror. He'd already scrounged around for a big mirror for his room at home so he could see himself while he practiced. 

"God, you're hopeless," Jack said, still watching Rhys. When Rhys's leg was once again in the wrong position, Jack chose to kick it into place instead of moving it with his hands. This caused Rhys to yelp in pain and fall to the ground. "Hopeless," Jack repeated. "And you wanna dance with me. I'll dance with a dog before I dance with you! Look at you, out of breath, out of shape, thinking you can just walk in here and be a dancer. No! There's a lot of work and effort that has to go into it. Now get up and go again! If you don't fix your leg and put it where it needs to be, I WILL break it! Now get up!" 

But Rhys didn't get up. He lay there face down on the stage, trying to catch the breath he hadn't had for the past ten minutes. Jack's rage mellowed slightly and he looked at his watch. Everyone else had left an hour ago, but Rhys had elected to stay behind with Jack since he was so far behind. Which was the only reason why Jack was able to get away with this. While Vallory herself was strict on her dancers, she was nowhere near as bad as Jack was. Jack was the self proclaimed king of making dancers cry, and Rhys was trying his hardest not to as his leg throbbed in pain to match his feet. 

"Forget it," Jack finally said. "Just go home. I'm done with you." He marched across the stage to get his bag, and just barely heard Rhys say something. "What was that?" He turned back around and crossed his arms. Rhys pushed himself into a sitting position, and then stood, using the ballet bar for support. 

"I... I said I was sorry," he said. "I know... I know I'm not a good dancer. I know I have a lot to learn. I know I'm never going to come close to being as good as you... and I'm sorry. But... I will get better. I'll practice all the time, I'll go on a diet, I'll work out, I'll... I'll do whatever it takes. I won't let you down, Jack. I won't let anyone else down. I promise... I'll get better." Rhys finally looked up at Jack, and the other dancer could see tears gathering in his eyes. He almost said something, but decided to keep his face neutral as Rhys gathered his things. The novice limped from the stage and disappeared through the door. Jack was left alone with his thoughts... and his guilt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why am I so cruel to my characters? Well, Rhys is playing with the big boys now so he'll need to get used to it. Jack doesn't tolerate anything less than perfection. But who is this mysterious dancer that Rhys is trying to prove himself to? Thank you guys so much for the comments and please keep them coming. I really do love hearing what you have to say.


	7. Sugar and Salt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rhys meets Timothy. Jack gets chewed out.

Rhys was back the next morning, and this time without a limp.

His leg still hurt, but he wasn't going to let it stop him today. He was fully committed to his dancing and was making sure to follow all the rules Jack had set for him. Well, almost all of them. He was hoping to cheat another cinnamon bun, deciding to come in earlier than usual to eat it. He'd just raised it to take a bite, but to his horror, he saw Jack walk in, wearing some pretty nice clothes. Jack smiled and walked over to him. 

"Hello, you must be-" He was interrupted by Rhys's frightened yelp. He frantically looked around before throwing his breakfast to the ground. 

"I'm sorry!" He said. "I know you told me to go on a diet, but I just wanted one more before I gave them up. They're just really good, and they make me feel better and I was still a little upset from last night..." He trailed off, noticing Jack's confused look. 

"I think you have me confused with my brother," Jack(?) said. "I'm Timothy, his twin. I own the Pandora Corporation." He smiled again and held out his hand for Rhys to shake. Rhys sheepishly shook his hand, eyeing the mess on the floor. He had heard about Jack's twin long ago, and it really was difficult to tell them apart. They were alike from head to toe, and unless you knew them well there was no way to tell the difference. 

"Sorry, you two just look so alike," He finally said. It was almost dizzying how the vibe he got from Timothy was the complete opposite of Jack's. Jack's vibe demanded respect and promised horrible things if you made him mad. While Timothy still had authority in his vibe, it was far nicer as if he wanted nothing more than for good things to happen to you. They were like the living embodiment of the old argument of whether it was better to rule with love, or rule with fear. 

"No worries," said Timothy. "But you did look very scared, and you did just throw your food on the ground. Has my brother done something?" He looked so kind and concerned that Rhys debated actually answering. He fidgeted with his hands as Timothy patiently waited for an answer. 

"No," Rhys finally said. "I'm just a big shy goof is all. I mean, your brother's been a big inspiration to me." Timothy briefly narrowed his eyes, but smiled and let the subject drop. 

"So I hear," he said. "You went through a few other troupes before Vallory took you on, didn't you? That takes a lot of determination." 

"Well I did almost give up a few times," said Rhys. "I mean, after you get rejected so many times... but my roommate Vaughn was always there to cheer me up and convince me to keep trying. I really owe it to him that I bothered to audition here at all. Otherwise I'd probably be working at my old job right now. I hated my old job..." 

Just then the door opened and the real Jack strode in. He was sipping some coffee, but froze at the sight before him. He gave Timothy a look that meant he was clearly annoyed, but then turned to Rhys. He stopped just before the mess of icing and pastry, eyeing it with distaste. 

"Dum dum, did I or did I not tell you not to eat those damn things?" He barked accusingly at Rhys. The younger dancer flinched and fidgeted again. 

"I'm sorry. I just wanted one more. I really do like those cinnamon buns..." he tried to defend himself in a small voice, but Jack glared. 

"I'm not going to let you sneak shit like that. If you want to dance here, you have to be serious. You have to work hard and watch what you eat. I do all the time. I haven't had any junk like that in years," he growled. 

"Just yesterday you were stuffing your face with donuts," Timothy said, giving Jack a cold look. Rhys snorted and tried to muffle a laugh as Jack turned his evil heterochromatic eyes on his brother. 

"How about you shut your mouth?" he snarled. "Well dum dum if you think it was ok to try to sneak some junk then you can clean it up. With this." He opened his plastic coffee cup and poured the liquid all over the mess on the floor. Rhys's posture visibly deflated as he watched Jack do it, thoroughly humiliated before the prestigious CEO. Timothy noticed and grabbed Jack's arm in a firm grip. 

"Jack, I've been meaning to talk to you about something at work. Do you think you could come with me and discuss it?" He didn't give Jack a chance to answer as he drug his brother through a side door to the lobby bathroom. Rhys watched them with a confused expression before finally walking off to find the cleaning supplies. 

~O~ 

"What is your problem?!" Timothy snapped as he locked the bathroom door behind him. Jack cooly leaned against the sinks and folded his arms. Timothy huffed as he put his own hands on his hips, frustrated with his brother's attitude. He could only imagine what he had been doing to Rhys if this is what he did when someone was watching. "Does Vallory know that you've been torturing her new dancer?" 

"No," said Jack. "And she's not gonna know. Because I'm not going to tell, you're not going to tell, and that little dork in there aint gonna tell either. He knows not to tell. Besides, he likes it when I do this. He knows he has to work hard to get better and I'm helping him. This is our world, Timothy. It's not all sunshine and ponies. It's blood, sweat, and tears. A lot of hard work and sacrifices. The kiddo needs to learn that or he'll get eaten up and spat back out." 

Timothy pinched the bridge of his nose as he sighed heavily. "I thought you liked him. You said you did. I understand what you're trying to do, but you can't just do that on his first day. He was limping a bit too, I noticed that. Did you hurt him?" 

"I just kicked him a little," Jack said dismissively, not noticing the thunderous expression on Timothy's face. "I was a little frustrated with him-" 

SMACK! 

Jack's face jerked to the side as Timothy swiftly slapped him. It wasn't hard enough to leave a mark, but enough to get his point across. Jack raised a hand to his cheek and looked at his brother with incredulity. 

"You hit me..." he said. 

"Sorry, I was just a little frustrated with you," Timothy said sarcastically. He didn't like hurting Jack like that, but he had to get it into his brother's head that it wasn't ok to hurt others like that. Especially Rhys. Timothy had only talked to him a little and already he wanted to wrap the dancer in a blanket and give him milk and cookies. Rhys gave off a vibe like a small lost child, invoking all kinds of maternal instincts in others. He was polite, cute, and you could tell he wanted nothing more than to make you proud of him. Of course, Timothy already was. He was proud that Rhys hadn't given up yet. 

"You never hit me," Jack broke into his thoughts. He sighed. "Look, I can't help the way I am, and I'm not changing it for some kiddo. He's not getting a free pass because he's inexperienced or because he's cute. I'm going to treat him like I treat everyone else, and that's it." 

"I'm not asking you to change," said Timothy. "Just... let up a bit. The poor kid's probably been through hell, and he doesn't need you adding to it. You want to help? Then stop hurting him and stop tearing him down like this. I know you are. I've seen you do it countless times to other dancers. If he's that frustrating then let Moxxi deal with it. She's the dance teacher, isn't she?" 

"I am not letting that kiddo around old Balloon Tits," Jack growled. "She'll steal his soul or corrupt him somehow." 

Timothy sighed again. 

"Look, deal with this. When I start coming to practice, I will not be treating him like dirt. So unless you want him to get suspicious you better get it together," he said. Jack paled. 

"You-you can't!" he protested. "You cannot do this to me! My whole career hinges on this!" 

"Stop being overdramatic," Timothy rolled his eyes. "Be nicer to him or it's going to create problems in the future. I don't mean hold his hand and coddle him, but at least treat him like a human being. He has to learn his own way through here. You can't protect him from everything." Jack narrowed his eyes and seemed to hunch into himself. He was pouting, and Timothy could tell. 

"Not protecting him," Jack grumbled. "Just don't want him to get hurt by the really mean ones around here..." 

"Then help him," said Timothy. "Help him get better. He's going to get hurt either way, but at least this way it won't be by you, and he may even be able to pull strength from you when he's picking up the pieces. I have to get back to the office, but think about it, ok?" 

"No promises!" Jack called as Timothy unlocked the door and left. Both brothers shared a sigh at the other's attitude.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really gotta update more often. But thanks to everyone for waiting patiently! Please comment and let me know what you think.


End file.
